Here is the most recent cover design for The Swing. What do ya think?

http://www.93gamesstudio.com/images/cover3_preview.jpg

Also here are several past models...

http://www.93gamesstudio.com/images/cover1_preview.jpg

http://www.93gamesstudio.com/images/cover2_preview.jpg (one I am currently using)

In the latest cover, its hard to distinguish the overlapping images, particularly on the left. I like the second cover (the last one you link). However, assuming that the border is the edge of the page, I would move "The Swing" down a little away from the edge. I wouldn't move anything else, just the words "The Swing".

Unfortunately I can not use the past models anymore. Long story...so I am trying to come up with one close to them.

Two quick thoughts:

1) I don't know what your distribution format is (pdf, print, both, etc.), but one of the golden rules for marketing a product like an RPG is the "ten foot rule" for identification and enticement. In other words, you want to have a cover/product ID that is distinguishable and grabs people's attention from at least 10 feet away.

2) While I want to applaud your use of of G53 (a great CQB weapon, to be sure), I honestly would urge you to use a weapon that is universally identifiable rather than so selectively obscure. Switching back to the MP5 or another commonly known firearm will keep the armchair generals from viewing your "reality guide" as innacurate since most people have never heard of it.

Just my two bits.

At RPG.net someone brought up the fact that the cover does not seem to represent the content of the game (their comment was that the cover made the game seem to be about modern day soldiers attacking stonehenge which is defended by ancient warriors - not what the game is about).

I do not have a unifing theme in my head, so I thought I would go simplistic. How is this one?

http://www.93gamesstudio.com/images/cover4_preview.jpg

Keith,

Well the latest one seems almost too minimalist in style. I think something in between or perhaps make the pendulum a more prominent piece of art?

The Other Keith

smokewolf wrote:
http://www.93gamesstudio.com/images/cover4_preview.jpg

1) I will try it with a version of the pendulum without the 93.

2) The Swing is based off of Aleister Crowley's Thelema. In Thelema 93 is the numeration of WILL and Love.

How about this...

http://www.93gamesstudio.com/images/cover7_preview.jpg

black border just for web preview only

Definitely like the last one. There's no great reason, IMHO, to have your company logo so attached to the system's logo, and it's kind of confusing, as in "What on earh is this 93 doing swinging around?" But a regular bob works well.

dude, i love it.

now just add a splash of color somewhere -- maybe in the copy for A GAME OF REALITY. (also, give that text a little room to breath above and below. it's too tight to the border.)

otherwise, it gets my minimalist lovin' design freak stampe of approval.

-L

I also really like the last two, and also had the issue with 93.

My only suggestion on the last one, which I think is great, is that it looks a bit like a bushel of arrows. Not that I don't get what it is, I'm just thinking about how a gamer's gonna look at it. I might suggest going with a medallion like the 93 only smooth faced. Give it a kind of clock swing look?

But I really like it. Think it looks great. Not too minimalistic, and still attention grabbing.

preview 3) Like the graphics but "reality guide" and "93 games studios" texts look not so good
preview 2) Otherwise good... but 93 too rough... needs blurring (or something) - like in pic 3
preview 1) cover art (the fires... monk... dragond... whatnot) looks good)

I have some suggestions for the pendulum. I think the bob might better visually convey a swinging pendulum if the angles of the successive images of the bob are varied rather than uniform. (The uniform angular change looks more like rotation, like a clock hand.) If the overall image represents the position of a pendulum at equal time intervals, then the angle between the leftmost (faintest) image and the second to the left should be smaller, and the angle between the rightmost (vertical) image and the second to the right should be larger.

Try it with angles of 0, 42, 63, and 75 degrees from vertical, for instance.

It might also look more pendulum-like (pendulous?) if instead of the pivot point being the bottom of the letter D, you set the pivot point near the top edge of the page, with the shafts cut off or faded out behind the title text (so the pivot point is not actually seen, but all the shafts project toward it). This would also mean using different angles, to keep the bob roughly in the same positions as in the current layout.

- Walt

Is there a reason you shrunk the "The" in the title ('The' Swing)? Personally, I think if you're going to position "The" on the same line as "Swing", they should both be teh same size.

Someone at RPG.net suggested that (he had in mind something different though) and I liked the quirkyness of it.